Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
When I said I was literally months behind on some reviews, I meant it, and among those I had put off till later was Queenz Eye. The culprit was likely not being impressed by their debut about a year ago, but this year they’ve really stepped it up with a pair of offerings in “UN-NORMAL” and “THIS IS LOVE” that are definitely worth bringing attention to.
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“UN-NORMAL”
On my initial listen of “UN-NORMAL”, there was something about it that at least made me jot notes down. It wasn’t a track that exactly demanded your attention, and perhaps that’s why it’s fallen between the cracks a bit, but over time I realized the groove taken from contemporary R&B of decades past eventually draws you into the song. It’s a sleek track with hip-hop underpinnings that help the performance aspect of things, but unlike their debut, it resists the urge to put something completely out of place and is content to rely on its melodies.
While these tracks don’t necessitate vocal theatrics, the performance of Queenz Eye here stood out nonetheless, delivering the smooth confidence that was required and adding to it with their own charisma as well (especially in the bridge). Not sure it’s ideal that the most memorable parts were the “oh oh oh” during the chorus and the runs of “ooh ooh ooh” during the post, but I liked the density of the chorus and the rhythm found within both. Plus, the segue into the second verse in particular was near perfect. Overall, I’d describe it less like a foot-tapper or a head-nodder and more something to sway along with.
“UN-NORMAL” may not be an accurate title for a song like this, but Queenz Eye turned down the bad parts of their debut and turned up their strengths, which made for a song that’s easy to get into. It seems playlist-worthy at worst, and if you’re like me, you can eventually be surprised about its replayability and lasting appeal.
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“THIS IS LOVE”
“THIS IS LOVE” is actually what motivated me to finally write about Queenz Eye’s releases this year, as unlike “UN-NORMAL”, it did immediately latch into my brain. The newtro track utilizes their vocal harmonies well and scratches an itch left by girl groups from days gone by, including the bright tone of its melodies. The beat has a nice bounce to it, and the slick production makes for another one of those fashionably-late summer tracks in spooky season.
While the repetition of “this is loveee” as a hook is catchy enough, just as addictive is the call-and-response nature of the rapid-fire post-chorus, which really drives the melody home. Additionally, the sprinkles of background brass in the chorus work well for the presentation of an overall jubilant soundscape.
The choice here to use the rap sections as basically a bridge more than trying to switch things up is important, as that helps the momentum keep chugging along. It leads to things really coming together in the finale, and the key change doesn’t fail to deliver. It’s something a lot of more popular girl groups either can’t or struggle to do nowadays, so it’s great to be able to count on Queenz Eye to deliver a performance.
While “THIS IS LOVE” deviates a bit from their previous concepts as a decidedly brighter option, it’s still rather mature for a track like this, and hopefully it’s more a showcase of their flexibility than anything else. Either way, Queenz Eye have now stacked consecutive quality releases by my count, and that kind of consistency is how one builds a solid fandom. Hopefully they get a chance to do just that going forward, and while my endorsement doesn’t mean much, I’ll at least be looking out for them from now on.
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Anyway, there’s a flood of K-pop groups out there at the moment, so it’s hard to fault anybody for not knowing a recently debuted group from Big Mountain Entertainment. However, with two singles released in 2023 that are playlist-worthy at worst and great if they scratch the right places in your ear, Queenz Eye are certainly demanding attention now.
